Posts Tagged "india"

~ Image by Arvind Balaraman ~ Earlier this year I had the opportunity to experience a very grounding trip to India. I was lucky to have a chance to visit north India (I hadn’t been there before) prior to heading down to the south to see relatives. I was fortunate enough to visit many spiritual, tranquil, ancient places that were so soothing to the senses. One of the cities I went to was Bodhgaya, where the supreme Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. This place was truly the most incredible highlight of my trip. The energy and calmness I felt were so captivating that I still remember it so vividly. The area by the Bodhi tree under which Buddha sat to meditate and contemplate offered a tranquil escape. The temple built around the tree had a cool, calm and contemplative feeling surrounding it. Devotees were meditating and there was an innate sense of tolerance. There was a calmness in the air. People were so friendly. It was an amazing feeling to be surrounded by shanthi (peace). It was mind-blowing to be in such natural beauty and to see such elegantly constructed temples offering solace to all (various countries had built their own artistic creations to honour Lord Buddha). Tolerance is one of the best qualities I could observe on my trip. Even though there is a such a huge population in India, there are so many sacred spaces to allow for internal reflection. Bodhgaya is a simple, blissful example of how surrounding yourself with nature can bring the most calm feelings to your body, mind and...